In My Head

Taken ~ Kaden

"Excuse me, Kaden Hastings?"

I pick up my lunch tray and turn around to see a pudgy, familiar-looking girl staring at me. Where do I know her from? Some class, it's got to be. English maybe, or math. She stares at me like she knows me, a side effect of being popular I guess. Jake and Logan leave me behind.

I step up to the girl. "Uh, can I help you?"

"Oh, I really hope so. I kind of have a problem. Actually, it's not really me, it's my friend, and I don't know how to say this so . . ."

I have flashbacks to middle school dating. Is she going to ask me out for a friend? I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

"My best friend likes you," she blurts. "Actually, she loves you, since beginning of freshman year, and she's starting to drive me crazy, because if she had it her way she'd just stare at you from afar forever, and I just think that would be horrible, because she's really pretty, and I think you would like her, and I really can't see how she's not more popular, because she's so beautiful and-"

"Okay, okay." Jeez, when does she take a breath? I can't help but smile at her. Part of me refuses to blow her off, despite the nagging feeling that there's no way I'd find this girl's friend attractive. "Tell me who she is, and I'll tell you if I'm game."

"Really?" She gapes at me. I nod and she smiles really big. "Mmm." She pinches her lower lip. "How about this? I go sit with her, and if you like what you see, you can tell her you're game." Then she turns and walks away. Just like that. What the heck, weird.

I realize that I'm standing like an idiot. Where did Logan and Jake go? I glance around the Commons, but I can't see them. Oh right, we're jocks now, so we get to sit at that popular table.

The strange girl wanders over to the vending machines on the side of the cafeteria. I keep an eye on her as I walk over and take my seat beside Jake and across from Logan, right in the middle of all the jocks and cheerleaders. Sitting here will take some getting used to.

"Who was that chick?" Logan gazes at the girl and then studies my face.

"I dunno." I shrug.

"What'd she want?" Something in Logan's tone makes me feel stupid.

I look away. "She told me I have a secret admirer."

Jake looks up from his math homework. "What? Who?"

"Of course you have a secret admirer." Logan shoves a french fry into his mouth. "I bet we all do; we're sophomores on Varsity! We can have any girl we want."

Any girl I want, just because I'm on the team? I glance down our long lunch table, full of jocks and cheerleaders and pretty people. Maybe that's how everyone gets here. They're on the team, so they're automatically popular. Then they choose a girl, and she's automatically popular too. I'm cool enough to make someone else cool. And not just any girl. A girl who's liked me since freshman year, before I was popular.

This strange urge to stand up and shamelessly search the Commons hits me, but I manage to stay in my seat. "Did you see where the girl went?" I ask.

"Yeah." Logan looks past me. "There." He points across the room. I follow his gaze to the table where she's sitting, next to a girl with long blonde hair, a super-hot body, and a really beautiful natural-looking face. There's something sophisticated about her, the way she dresses, does her hair, even the way she sits. I recognize her from my history class right away, but I have no idea what her name is.

Logan lets out a whistle. "Wow, that's the girl?"

I nod, unable to take my eyes off her. She smacks her friend on the shoulder and locks eyes with me. I wave at her. She looks away instantly and stares at her food, her cheeks rosy with embarrassment. How cute.

"Dude, if you don't want her, I'm totally game." Logan raises an eyebrow at me.

Ishake my head. "She's taken."